U.S. patent number 6,604,108 [Application Number 09/325,428] was granted by the patent office on 2003-08-05 for information mart system and information mart browser.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Metasolutions, Inc.. Invention is credited to Kim Nitahara.
United States Patent |
6,604,108 |
Nitahara |
August 5, 2003 |
Information mart system and information mart browser
Abstract
The invention pertains to an information mart system and
information mart browser. The information mart provides an
automated mechanism for gathering data that is dispersed among the
electronic data storage facilities of an enterprise, and for
synthesizing and structuring the gathered data in accordance with
the needs of user who require information to analyze the operation
of the enterprise. The information mart generates content files
that are organized in accordance with a predefined hierarchy of
subjects, and a predefined set of relational attributes that are
applied to all subjects of the subject hierarchy. The user is
thereby provided with both hierarchical and relational access to
the data. The user is enabled to browse the data in an intuitive
manner through browser navigation tools provided in a graphical
user interface that allow the user to provide input specifying a
subject of interest and a relational attribute that characterizes
the information desired about the subject. The browser further
provides multiple simultaneous displays of content files containing
related information. Multiple display of files provides
juxtaposition of information that is derived from multiple sources
and conveyed in multiple formats, thereby enhancing the user's
capacity for synthesizing and deriving further knowledge. The
information mart system thus enables users to locate and browse the
vast amount of disparate information that is used by an enterprise
using an intuitive navigational metaphor that utilizes both a
hierarchical and relational model.
Inventors: |
Nitahara; Kim (Bridgewater,
NJ) |
Assignee: |
Metasolutions, Inc. (Warren,
NJ)
|
Family
ID: |
27624766 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/325,428 |
Filed: |
June 4, 1999 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1; 435/9;
707/999.104; 707/E17.107; 707/999.102 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F
16/283 (20190101); G06F 16/95 (20190101); G06F
16/22 (20190101); Y10S 707/99943 (20130101); Y10S
707/99945 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06F
7/00 (20060101); G06F 007/00 (); G12Q 001/64 () |
Field of
Search: |
;707/1-5,10,100-104,501-513 ;709/300 ;382/103,173 ;345/700,961
;705/2,3 ;435/7,9 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Metjahic; Safet
Assistant Examiner: Chen; Te Y
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Foley & Lardner
Parent Case Text
RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application claims priority from U.S. provisional
application Ser. No. 60/088,245, filed Jun. 5 1998, the entirety of
which, including all appendices, is incorporated herein by
reference.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A system for managing information in a pharmaceutical product
testing enterprise, comprising: a logical index associating system
content file identifiers with predefined source data, with
predefined source data processing rules, with subjects of a
predefined subject hierarchy that includes a subject corresponding
to each substance, product, protocol, and investigator of the
pharmaceutical product testing enterprise, and with predefined
relational attributes applied to all subjects of the hierarchy and
selected from the group consisting of financial, project, and
executive relational attributes; a content file creation facility
for generating system content files by obtaining source data
associated with a content file identifier from remote electronic
storage facilities and processing the source data in accordance
with the predefined source data processing rules associated with
the content file identifier to generate the content file; a file
server facility for providing content files in response to content
file queries from a browser specifying a subject of the predefined
subject hierarchy and relational attribute of the set of predefined
relational attributes; and a browser comprising: a relational
attribute navigation tool for receiving user input specifying a
relational attribute of the set of predefined relational attributes
that characterizes desired information; a subject hierarchy
navigation tool for receiving user input specifying a subject of
the predefined subject hierarchy that characterizes desired
information; and multiple file display facilities for concurrently
issuing content file queries to the server facility comprising a
specified relational attribute and a specified subject, and for
concurrently displaying content files provide by the server
facility in a graphical user interface.
2. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the content file creation
facility comprises a control facility for updating information mart
content files.
3. The system claimed in claim 2, wherein updating information mart
content files comprises periodically creating each locally stored
information mart content file from its associated source data in
accordance with its associated source data processing rules.
4. The system claimed in claim 2, wherein updating information mart
content files comprises, for each locally stored information mart
content file, comparing a time/data stamp of the information mart
content file with a time/date stamp of each file containing
associated source data, and if the time/date stamp of the
information mart content file is older than a time date stamp of a
file containing associated source data, generating the information
mart content file from its associated source data in accordance
with its associated source data processing rules.
5. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the server facility
provides an information mart content file by determining a physical
address of the information mart content file associated with the
information mart content file in the logical index, and if the
information mart content file is a locally stored file, retrieving
the file from local storage, and if the information mart content
file is a remotely stored file, acquiring the file from a remote
electronic storage facility.
6. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the server provides an
information mart content file by specifying an information mart
content file identifier to the content file creation facility,
receiving a content file from the content file creation facility,
and providing the content file.
7. The system claimed in claim 1, further comprising a content file
storage facility for storage of information mart content files, the
content file storage facility having a folder hierarchy
corresponding to the predefined subject hierarchy, each folder of
the folder hierarchy containing folders corresponding to each of
the predefined relational attributes.
8. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein each association in the
logical index of an information mart content file identifier to a
relational attribute includes a further association with a file
display facility of the browser, and wherein each query issued by a
file display facility of the browser includes an identification of
the file display facility.
9. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the file server facility
further provides, in response to an alternate content file list
query specifying a relational attribute and subject, a list of
alternate content files that are associated with a specified
relational attribute and specified subject that are not provided by
the file server facility in response to a content file query
specifying the relational attribute and subject, and wherein the
browser further comprises multiple alternate content file list
display facilities, each associated with a content file display
facility, for concurrently issuing alternate content file list
queries to the server in accordance with the specified relational
attribute and specified subject, for providing a list of alternate
content files associated with the specified relational attribute
and specified subject that are not provided by the file server
facility in response to a content file query specifying the
relational attribute and specified subject, for receiving user
input specifying a desired content file from a provided list of
alternate content files, and for initiating a query for a content
file specified by a user from list of alternate content files.
10. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the relational attribute
navigation tool comprises multiple buttons displayed in the
graphical user interface, each button being associated with one of
the predefined relational attributes.
11. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the subject hierarchy
navigation tool comprises: multiple pull down lists displayed in
the graphical user interface, each list being dynamically
configured to display predefined subjects owned by a previously
selected subject; and a button displayed in the graphical user
interface for providing input specifying a selected subject
displayed in one of said multiple pull down lists as the predefined
subject of desired information.
12. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the subject navigation
tool and the relational attribute navigation tool are displayed
simultaneously in the user interface.
13. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the subject navigation
tool, the relational attribute navigation tool, and the multiple
file display windows corresponding to the multiple file display
facilities are displayed simultaneously in the graphical user
interface.
14. A computer readable medium storing control programming for
controlling a general purpose computer to function as an
information mart browser of an information mart system for a
pharmaceutical product testing enterprise, the browser comprising:
a relational attribute navigation tool for receiving user input
through a graphical user interface specifying a predefined
relational attribute of a set of predefined relational attributes
that characterizes desired information, the relational attributes
including financial, project, and executive relational attributes;
a subject hierarchy navigation tool for determining subjects of a
predefined subject hierarchy of the information mart system, and
for receiving user input through a graphical user interface
specifying a subject of the predefined subject hierarchy that
characterizes desired information, the subjects of the
predefined-subject-hierarchy including a subject corresponding to
each substance, product, protocol, and investigator of the
pharmaceutical product testing enterprise; and multiple file
display facilities for concurrently issuing content file queries to
an information mart server facility comprising a specified
relational attribute and a specified subject, and for concurrently
displaying content files provide by the server facility in a
graphical user interface.
15. The computer readable medium claimed in claim 14, wherein the
browser further comprises multiple alternate content file list
display facilities, each associated with a content file display
facility, for concurrently issuing alternate content file list
queries to the server in accordance with a specified relational
attribute and a specified subject, for providing a list of
alternate content files associated with the specified relational
attribute and specified subject that are not provided by the file
server facility in response to a content file query specifying the
relational attribute and specified subject, for receiving user
input specifying a desired content file from a provided list of
alternate content files, and for initiating a query for a content
file specified by a user from list of alternate content files.
16. The computer readable medium claimed in claim 14, wherein the
relational attribute navigation tool comprises multiple buttons
displayed in the graphical user interface, each button being
associated with one of the predefined relational attributes.
17. The computer readable medium claimed in claim 14, wherein the
subject hierarchy navigation tool comprises: multiple pull down
lists displayed in the graphical user interface, each list being
dynamically configured to display predefined subjects owned by a
previously selected subject; and a button displayed in the
graphical user interface for providing input specifying a selected
subject displayed in one of said multiple pull down lists as the
predefined subject of desired information.
18. The computer readable medium claimed in claim 14, wherein the
subject navigation tool and the relational attribute navigation
tool are displayed simultaneously in the user interface.
19. The computer readable medium claimed in claim 14, wherein the
subject navigation tool, the relational attribute navigation tool,
and multiple file display windows corresponding to the multiple
file display windows are displayed simultaneously in the graphical
user interface.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention pertains to the field of knowledge management.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Data production is a function and by-product of the activities of
most enterprises. However, while databases and data warehouses are
effective for storage of data, their structures and capabilities
generally reflect the needs of the enterprise's discrete data
production processes, rather than the needs of high level users
whose function is to analyze the operation of the enterprise.
Although a great deal of information about the enterprise is
contained in its data, a high level analyst may not know whether
desired information is actually reflected in any record that is
possessed by the enterprise. Further, the user may not know where
among an enterprise's many electronic data storage facilities that
information is likely to be found. The user is unlikely to know how
to retrieve a desired record from a given database, since the
specifications that are known to the user (i.e. the characteristics
of the desired information) are unlikely to be the same as those
used to identify a particular database record or data file that
contains it. These problems are compounded when desired information
is not reflected in an individual record, but instead can only be
derived through synthesis of data contained in multiple records. In
this case, the various records may be stored in different data
storage facilities, and the manner of identifying and organizing
records in each of the different data storage facilities is
unlikely to be the same.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention addresses the above problems by providing an
automated system, referred to as an "information mart," for
gathering data that is dispersed among the electronic data storage
facilities of an enterprise, and for synthesizing and structuring
the gathered data in accordance with the needs of user who require
information to analyze the operation of the enterprise. The
information mart provides a mechanism to organize the data in
accordance with a predefined hierarchy of subjects for analysis,
and a predefined set of relational attributes that are applied to
all subjects of the subject hierarchy. The user is thereby provided
with both hierarchical and relational access to the data. The user
is enabled to browse the data in an intuitive manner through
browser navigation tools provided in a graphical user interface
that allow the user to provide input specifying a subject of
interest and a relational attribute that characterizes the
information desired about the subject. The browser further provides
multiple simultaneous displays of content files containing related
information. Multiple display of files provides juxtaposition of
information that is derived from multiple sources and conveyed in
multiple formats, thereby enhancing the user's capacity for
synthesizing and deriving further knowledge.
The information mart thus enables users to locate and browse the
vast amount of disparate information that is used by an enterprise
using an intuitive navigational metaphor that utilizes both a
hierarchical and relational model. The information mart system
described herein provides a mechanism to automate the production
and simplify the navigation of pre-defined sets of related
information that has been "harvested" from multiple, disparate
electronic data sources that may be located both within and
external to the enterprise.
Generic and preferred embodiments of systems and processes in
accordance with the invention are described below, and the scope of
the invention is defined in the appended claims. For purposes of
summary, an information mart system in accordance with the
invention generally has three aspects.
The first aspect of the information mart system is the logical
design of the content file structure. The logical design is based
upon a predefined hierarchy of subjects relating to an about which
information may be desired. The logical design of the information
mart further includes a predefined common set of "types of
information", referred to herein as relational attributes, that are
provided for each subject of the predefined hierarchy. Each subject
within the subject hierarchy of the information mart is populated
with displayable content files, and each content file is associated
with one or more of the predefined relational attributes.
Accordingly, every subject in the hierarchy effectively contains
one or more groups of content files that are logically related
because they each have the same relational attribute value. The
logical design of the information mart can therefore be described
as a group of content files that provide information pertaining to
an enterprise, arranged hierarchically by subject, and arranged
relationally by common relational attribute.
The second aspect of the information mart system is its physical
implementation. The information mart content files are produced
from data that resides in the various disparate electronic data
storage facilities associated with the enterprise. A content file
may be an existing file from the enterprise's data storage
facilities (e.g. an html document, a data table, a graphic, etc.),
or it may be the result of processing of source data from a single
source file (e.g. a graphic generated from a database record, a
portion of a document, etc.), or it may be the result of processing
of source data from multiple source files (e.g. a graphic generated
using multiple database records from different databases). The
content file may be stored locally in the information mart system,
as would generally be true for a processed file, or it may be
stored remotely and accessed as necessary, as might be the case for
a file stored on a remote web server. Population of the information
mart therefore involves, for every content file, determining the
related source data for creating the content file, processing the
source data, if necessary, and associating the physical address of
the locally or remotely stored content file with the identifier of
the content file.
To ensure that content files of the information mart system are
current, the system may periodically update all locally stored
content files. This may be accomplished by reacquiring and
reprocessing all source data from the various electronic data
storage facilities and rewriting the entire information mart.
Alternatively, updating may be accomplished by comparing the time
date stamp of each locally stored content file with the time date
stamp of the current version of each file containing the content
file's source data, and selectively recreating out-of-date content
files. As a further alternative, content files may be dynamically
created (or updated) when requested for delivery to an end user,
thus ensuring that the user receives current information.
Physical file organization may be accomplished through the use of a
file folder tree structure that physically represents the hierarchy
of subjects and the relational attributes corresponding to each
subject. Alternatively, files may be virtually organized by means
of a database that associates file identifiers with predefined
subjects and predefined relational attributes.
The third aspect of the information mart system is browsing of
content files by information users. A file server provides content
files to a browser application for display to an end user in
response to queries initiated by the end user through the browser.
The queries are generated through selections by the user from among
the predefined subject hierarchy and predefined relational
attributes. The browser includes subject navigation tools for
making these selections, including a subject navigation tool that
allows the user to navigate through the subjects of the predefined
subject hierarchy, and an attribute navigation tool that allows the
user to navigate among the various predefined types of available
information. The browser further includes multiple,
simultaneously-displayed windows, each of which independently
initiates queries to the file server in response to user
manipulation of the navigation tools. Each window examines the
record returned by the file server to determine its file type, and
launches an appropriate application for displaying that file type
in the window. Each window may further provide a pull-down list of
alternate information mart files that correspond to the user
specified subject and attribute but are not displayed, and the user
may be allowed to initiate display of one of the listed alternate
files.
The invention is considered to be embodied in an information mart
system as disclosed herein, as well as in an information mart
content creation facility, information mart server facility, and
information mart browser facility as disclosed herein. The
invention is further considered to be embodied in processes
performed by the aforementioned facilities, as disclosed herein,
and to be embodied in computer readable media storing control
programming for configuring a data processing device to function as
one of the aforementioned facilities disclosed herein, or to
perform processes performed by the aforementioned facilities.
Further description of specific aspects of the invention and a
preferred embodiment is provided below.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows basic features of a generic information mart
system;
FIG. 2 shows a subject hierarchy;
FIG. 3 shows groups of content files that correspond to a subject
and have common relational attributes;
FIG. 4 shows how groups of content files that correspond to
different subjects are related through the use of common relational
attribute definitions;
FIG. 5 shows an information mart content file creation facility in
accordance with the invention;
FIG. 6 shows a process for producing an information mart content
file in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 7 shows an information mart server facility in accordance with
the invention;
FIG. 8 shows a process in an information mart server facility for
providing information mart content files in accordance with the
invention;
FIG. 9 shows basic functional features of a graphical user
interface of a browser facility in accordance with the
invention;
FIG. 10 shows functional features of an enhanced graphical user
interface of a browser facility in accordance with the
invention;
FIG. 11 shows functional features of a generic browser facility in
accordance with the invention;
FIG. 12 shows a process performed in a browser facility in
accordance with the invention;
FIG. 13 shows an alternative process in an information mart system
for providing information mart content files to a browser facility
in accordance with the invention; and
FIG. 14 shows a graphical user interface in accordance an
application of the invention in the context of pharmaceutical
chemical research.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The following description first addresses the generic
characteristics of systems implemented in accordance with the
invention. A preferred embodiment of the invention, involving an
information mart for enabling analysis of data generated in the
process of clinical testing of pharmaceutical products, is then
described. It is implicit in all description that the systems and
their various facilities and processes described herein are
implemented on general purpose computers through appropriate
control programming. Those of ordinary skill in the art will be
capable of implementing the subject invention without undue
experimentation based on the description provided herein.
FIG. 1 shows the basic features of a generic information mart
system in accordance with the invention. In the system, a content
creation facility and a server facility share access to an
information mart storage device and a logical index. The logical
index identifies each content file made available by the system
using a unique content file identifier, and associates each content
identifier with a subject from a predefined subject hierarchy, one
or more relational attributes from a predefined set of relational
attributes, identifiers of source data for generating the content
file, an identifier of processing rules for processing the source
data to yield the content file, and a physical address of the
content file.
The information mart content creation facility is enabled to
retrieve data from remote electronic data storage facilities (i.e.
data storage facilities that are not part of the information mart
system) that are associated with the enterprise that is served by
the information mart. Any type of data storage facility may
potentially be accessed by the information mart system. Presently
envisioned data storage facilities include web servers, data
warehouses and databases. The content file creation facility may
retrieve entire files, or, in the case of databases, may simply
retrieve individual records or record elements, for example,
through the use of industry standard data base connectivity tools.
Files or data retrieved by the content file creation facility may
be processed to alter or enhance its form, and ultimately yield the
content files that populate the information mart. The content files
may be stored in local information mart storage or may reside in
the remote data storage facility, in accordance with the nature of
the specific file. The content creation facility may further act to
periodically update the information mart. Updating may be scheduled
to avoid conflicts with other system usage requirements (for
example, by updating overnight), or may be done with high frequency
where the information reflected in the information mart files is of
a highly time sensitive nature. Updating may be performed through
wholesale recreation of all content files, or by selective
identification and recreation of out-of-date content files.
Alternatively, files may be individually created when specifically
requested by the server facility for display to an end user.
The information mart system further includes the information mart
server facility, which provides content files to information mart
browser facilities in accordance with queries produced through user
manipulation of navigation tools. Links to files are determined by
the server through reference to the logical index. Files are
retrieved from local storage or remote servers, as appropriate, and
returned to browsers for display.
The structure of information made available through the information
mart is based upon a predefined hierarchy of subjects that relate
to the enterprise for which information for analysis is to be
provided. FIG. 2 shows a portion of a subject hierarchy. The
subjects in the subject hierarchy are related through predefined
static relationships. Static relationships are also known as
"information bearing" relationships. In the case of the present
invention, the subjects of the hierarchy are preferably defined so
that the information bearing relationships between subjects are
intuitive to persons responsible for analysis of the enterprise.
For example, if the entity is a manufacturing corporation, a
subject for analysis might be a division of the corporation; a
further subject for analysis that is intuitively related to the
division might be a product produced by that division. Intuitively,
"product" is a subject that depends from "division", and so product
and division would be related in the hierarchy through a static
information bearing definition that follows the intuitive knowledge
that product is a subject having a hierarchical relation to
division. Moreover, it is intuitive that product is dependent from
division. This illustrates the concept of "ownership" as
illustrated in FIG. 2. In the subject hierarchy, all subjects
(except those at uppermost positions in the hierarchy) are owned by
another subject, and all subjects (except those at lowermost
positions in the hierarchy) own other subjects. Thus division owns
product, and product might own a further subject defined as
"parts". Again, these relationships are defined in accordance with
common perception of the hierarchy of subjects relating to an
enterprise, and so the relationship among subjects is
intuitive.
The file structure made available through the information mart is
further based upon a predefined set of relational attributes. FIG.
3 shows how files associated with a subject are interrelated in
accordance with relational attributes. Relational attributes are
predefined characteristics, and a file that contains information
having one of the predefined characteristics is said to have that
relational attribute value. In accordance with the invention, a set
of relational attributes is defined in accordance with intuitive
needs for different types of information about subjects in the
hierarchy. For example, in regard to the subject "product", various
types of information about a product may be desired such as
financial (costs, sales, etc.), personnel, facilities, etc. Any
pieces of information pertaining financial issues would be
considered to be related since they provide the same type of
information; these pieces of information are thus related through a
common relational attribute value. As shown in FIG. 3, a file may
have more than one of the predefined relational attribute values
(such as File C, which is included in more than one group of
files).
In accordance with the invention, the predefined set of relational
attributes is applied to all subjects of the predefined subject
hierarchy. Accordingly, groups of files relating to the same
"types" of information are made available for each subject. Thus,
by applying a common set of relational attributes to all subjects
of the hierarchy, static information bearing relationships between
groups of files pertaining to different subjects are established.
FIG. 4 shows how a common set of relational attributes applied to a
subject hierarchy creates relationships between groups of files
that pertain to different subjects. In the case of the present
invention, relational attributes are preferably defined so that the
information bearing relationships between groups of files
pertaining to different subjects are intuitive. Returning to the
example begun above, a type of information that is desired for the
subject "product", for example, financial information, would also
be intuitively desired for "division" (the owner of product) and
"parts" (owned by product). Thus, groups of files providing
financial information for each of these subjects are intuitively
related because they have been grouped in accordance with a
commonly applied relational attribute.
Thus, in accordance with the invention, the information mart
organizes content files according to a subject hierarchy and common
set of relational attributes that is applied to every subject in
the hierarchy. The resulting content file structure if both
hierarchical and relational, allowing navigation both between the
same types of information pertaining to different subjects, and
between different types of information pertaining to the same
subject.
Population of the information mart with content files first
requires determination of the information that must be made
available through the information mart. This leads to definition of
a subject hierarchy and definition of a commonly applied set of
relational attributes. Subsequently, examination of the data
available in the data storage facilities is performed to determine
the specific content files that can be created using the available
data. This leads to the design of individual content files and the
associated processing rules that specify the location and identity
of source data and the manner of processing the source data to
yield the content file. These tasks yield the logical index that
maps content files to source data and processing rules, and to
predefined subjects and predefined relational attributes.
FIG. 5 illustrates a generic information mart creation device in
accordance with the invention. The information mart logical index
is used by the source data acquisition facility and the source data
processing system to produce content files under the control of a
file creation application. In the simplest example of operation, it
may have been determined that a file resident in one of the
enterprise's data storage facilities (for example, a scanned
version of a hard copy document made available on a web page)
inherently conveys information that is desired to be made available
through the information mart, and so the information mart can
simply provide direct access to the file through communication with
the appropriate server. Thus the source file is used as the content
file without further processing. Accordingly, the physical address
the source file is mapped to the content file identifier in the
logical index, a null processing rule (direct access with no
processing) is associated with the content file, and no processing
is required to create the information mart file. In the more common
case, it is desirable to present a file that is created through
processing of source data contained in one or more databases. In
this case, the logical index maps source data from each source
database to the content file identifier, and to a processing rule
that defines the extraction of the source data by the source data
acquisition facility (for example, extraction of specific elements
from specific records of one or more databases) and the processing
of the source data by the source data processing system (for
example, inserting the extracted elements into a spreadsheet,
performing calculations using the element values, generating a
graphic illustration of the results of the calculations (e.g. a bar
graph), storing the graphic illustration locally and updating the
logical index with the physical address of the stored file).
Specific sets of processing rules may be physically implemented
through standard programming languages and techniques.
The information mart content file creation process is illustrated
in FIG. 6. As shown there, for each content file to be created,
source data is acquired in accordance with information contained in
the logical index. Processing rules are obtained, and the source
data is then processed in accordance with the processing rules
indicated in the logical index. The processing result is then
stored locally as a content file, and the physical address of the
content file is associated with the content file identifier in the
logical index. The information mart may therefore be populated by
performing this process for every content file identified in the
logical index that requires processing.
Periodic updating of content files may be implemented in accordance
with the needs of the particular application. Updating may be
accomplished through wholesale recreation of the information mart
by performing the above file creation process for every information
mart file that is generated through processing of source data.
Alternatively, selective updating may be provided by comparing the
time/date stamp of each content file with the time/date stamp of
each file from which its source data originates, and updating any
content file for which a source data file has a later time/date
stamp.
Implementation of the logical mapping of content files to
predefined subjects and relational attributes, and to physical
addresses, source data and processing rules, may be achieved in a
number of different manners. Source data and processing rules are
most easily mapped to content file identifiers through a database.
Where a large number of content files is involved, it may also be
preferable to store the locally stored content files arbitrarily in
a common area of a nonvolatile mass storage device and to relate
physical file addresses, predefined subjects and relational
attributes to content files through the same database.
Alternatively, it may be preferable to simplify accessing and
indexing of content files by implementing a file/folder hierarchy
modeled on the predefined subject hierarchy and relational
attributes. For example, the subject hierarchy may be represented
as a folder tree, with a given subject being located in a subfolder
within the folder of its owner subject, and containing subfolders
for each of its owned subjects. Each subject folder may contain
subfolders corresponding to each of the relational attributes. Thus
each subfolder would contain content files having the relational
attribute value of the subfolder and the subject association of the
subject within whose folder the relational attribute folders are
located.
FIG. 7 illustrates a generic information mart server facility in
accordance with the invention. The logical index is used by a query
processing facility for identifying content files that correspond
to subject and relational attribute specifications received from
information mart browser facilities. A file acquisition facility
obtains content files from local information mart storage, or from
remote data storage facilities, in accordance with the physical
address associated with the content file. The query processing
facility provides retrieved content files to the querying
information mart browser facility. Both the file acquisition
facility and the query processing facility are enabled to
communicate through standard communication devices and protocols.
The information mart server may be implemented in common with the
information mart creation device on a single processing device or
may be implemented on a separate processing device.
A process in an information mart server facility for providing
content files to an information mart browser facility is
illustrated in FIG. 8. As shown there, when a query is received
from an information mart browser, the query processing facility
determines, through reference to the logical index, a content file
that is associated with the predefined subject and the predefined
relational attribute specified in the query. Through further
reference to the logical index, the physical address of the content
file is determined. This physical address is provided to the file
acquisition facility, which acquires the file from the appropriate
local or remote data storage facility. The acquired file is then
provided to the information mart browser by the query processing
facility.
FIG. 9 illustrates functional attributes of a graphical user
interface for an information mart browser facility in accordance
with the invention. As shown in FIG. 9, the user interface provides
multiple windows for simultaneous display of content files.
Although four windows are illustrated, the invention may be
implemented with any number of multiple windows. The user interface
further provides a subject hierarchy navigation tool and a
relational attribute navigational tool. Manipulation of the
navigation tools by the user effectively allows the user to specify
the subject and relational attribute of desired information, and
provides the basis for queries that the browser facility issues to
the server facility to obtain content files for display.
FIG. 10 shows enhanced functional attributes of a graphical user
interface for an information mart browser facility in accordance
with the invention. As shown in FIG. 9, each of the multiple
display windows is coupled with an alternate file list window. The
alternate file list window provides a pull-down list of files that
meet the subject and relational attribute specifications provided
by the user but that are not displayed. Such files could exist
where there are more files meeting the specified criteria than
there are windows to display them. In this case, the user is
enabled to view names of alternate files and to initiate display of
those files. The manner in which specific files are provided by the
server for initial display is discussed below.
FIG. 11 shows a generic information mart browser facility in
accordance with the invention. A relational attribute navigation
tool facility and a subject hierarchy navigation tool facility
corresponding to the navigational tools illustrated in FIGS. 9 and
10 provide display of the navigation tools and receive user input
provided through the navigation tools. Multiple file display window
facilities and corresponding multiple alternate file list display
window facilities formulate queries based on the input received
through the navigation tools and issue queries to the information
mart server facility through the server interface facility. The
subject hierarchy navigation tool may also issue queries to the
information mart server facility through the server interface
facility. Files and other data received from the server facility in
response to queries are provided to the querying entity through the
server interface facility.
Relational attribute navigation is provided by allowing a user to
specify which of the predefined relational attributes characterizes
desired information. This may be simply accomplished by providing
an array of buttons that correspond to the predefined relational
attributes, or by providing a list of the relational attributes
from which a user may select. Subject hierarchy navigation may be
provided in a number of ways. Since the number of subjects in the
hierarchy may be too large to display at once, the subject
hierarchy navigation tool typically must be capable of providing a
changing list of subjects to be chosen from. A hierarchical subject
list may be obtained by the subject hierarchy navigation tool
facility from the information mart server through a subject
hierarchy query. The entire subject hierarchy may be obtained once
and maintained in the subject hierarchy navigation tool facility
thereafter, or portions of the hierarchy may be dynamically
obtained (for example, for subjects owned by a currently selected
subject) in response to user subject specifications.
An alternative subject navigation tool is illustrated and described
in the provisional application that is incorporated by reference in
this application and from which priority is claimed. The
alternative subject navigation tool described therein provides a
display that represents the hierarchy structure using the file
folder metaphor that will be familiar to users of the Microsoft
Explorer file management tool. A user navigates through subjects in
the hierarchy by opening folders (i.e. accessing a lower level of
subjects) and closing folders (i.e. retreating to a higher level of
subjects). Selection of a specific folder is received as input
specifying the subject associated with the folder.
A file display window facility of the browser facility generates
queries based on user input and receives and displays files.
Queries include specifications of the predefined relational
attribute and predefined subject that are specified by the user
through manipulation of the navigational tools. In order to prevent
a content file from being provided to more than one querying
window, the content file relational attribute associations in the
logical index may be augmented with specific display window
associations. Accordingly, a query from a display window includes a
relational attribute, a subject, and a querying window identifier.
In response, the server determines content files associated with
the specified relational attribute and subject, and returns the
content file that is specifically associated with the querying
window. This feature provides the option of structuring the
relative positions of displayed files in a manner that is
determined to be advantageous to the end user by pre-associating a
content file with a window occupying a desired position.
Different options exist for initiating queries. For example,
queries may be automatically issued every time that either of the
subject specification and relational attribute specification
indicated through manipulation of the navigation tools is changed.
Alternatively, the user may be required to provide input indicating
that the navigation tools indicate the desired specifications. This
may be desirable to allow the user to browse through the subject
hierarchy to arrive at a subject of interest without necessitating
the retrieval and display of content files associated with each
subject/relational attribute group traversed by the user during
navigation. As a third alternative, the user may be required to
provide input indicating that the subject navigational tool
indicate a desired subject specification. In this case, the user
enjoys the advantages of subject browsing as with the first
alternative described above, and is enabled to navigate between
relational attribute values for selected subject by simply changing
the specified relational attribute.
Each file display window facility of the browser provides the
function of displaying information mart content files. Information
mart content files may be of any displayable file type, such as
JPEG, GIF, HTML, or any of the various web content formats that are
compatible with the browser. Accordingly, when a content file is
received from the information mart server facility, its type is
determined by the file display window facility, for example by
examination of the file name extension, and an appropriate
application for displaying the content file is launched to display
the content file in the window.
The basic process performed in the information mart browser is
illustrated in FIG. 12. Input representing a predefined subject and
a predefined relational attribute is received through the
navigation tools and is provided to multiple file display window
facilities. Each file display window facility formulates a query
containing the specified subject and relational attribute. The
query may further specify an identifier of the window for purposes
of retrieving a window-specific content file as described above.
The query is issued to the information mart server facility through
the server interface. When a content file is subsequently returned
and received by the file display window facility, the content file
is analyzed to determine the file type, an appropriate application
is launched to display the content file, and the content file is
displayed in the window.
The alternate file display window facilities likewise issue queries
to the information mart file server facility in response to user
input. In this case, an alternate file list query requests the
server to provide content file identifiers for all files that match
the specified subject and relational attribute, and that are not
associated with a querying window identifier. In this manner, each
alternate file display window will make available a list of content
files that are not initially displayed on the browser. The
alternate file list display window facility further provides the
ability to initiate the issuance of a content file query through
its associated file display window facility that specifies the
identifier of a content file that is selected by a user from the
list. The user is accordingly made aware of all additional
information mart content files that are relevant to the specified
subject and relational attribute, and is enabled to display those
files if desired.
The above discussion addresses a system in which the content file
creation functions are performed separately from browsing and
serving functions. However, it is further envisioned that content
file creation may be performed in response to a content file query.
As shown in FIG. 7, such a system is implemented by providing
communication between the content file acquisition facility of the
server and the content file creation facility. Upon receipt of a
query, the content file acquisition facility may initiate creation
of the file by the content file creation facility. This alternative
is advantageous for applications in which some source data is
constantly changing. For purposes of selectivity, the logical index
may be configured to include information indicating that a
particular content file is of a type that is to be created on
demand, rather than being created only during a separate updating
process. The generic process for creating and serving a content
file in accordance with this alternative is illustrated in FIG.
13.
An application of the invention is now described. The application
provides gathering, synthesis, and presentation of information
derived from data generated in the clinical testing of new
pharmaceutical products. It is determined that an enterprise
engaged in such testing generally investigates multiple products,
each of which may have a variety of potential medical indications
for use. Each indication must be tested using a number of different
testing protocols, and each protocol must be performed by a number
of different investigators. Accordingly, for this application, a
hierarchy of subjects that would be intuitive to users can be
defined which consist of Drug Substances, Products, Protocols and
Investigators. Further, it is determined that the information about
these subjects that is needed for the pharmaceutical company to
manage the clinical testing can be categorized as financial
information (budgets, costs, projections, etc.), project
information (regarding the people, facilities, and activities
pertaining to the subject), and executive summary information (a
combination of financial, project, and other information that gives
a consolidated overview of the subject). Accordingly, for this
application, a set of relational attributes consisting of
financial, project, and executive is defined and applied to each
subject of the hierarchy.
The browser is operated within the Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0
browser. As shown in FIG. 14, the user interface consists of five
primary frames. Four frames of equal size ("Quadrants") are used to
display information mart files. Each of the Quadrant frames
includes a thin top frame that provides a list of alternate files,
contains the file name for the file displayed in the lower frame,
and provides an icon for expand the frame to full-page size and
contract to frame size.
A fifth frame along the left-hand side provides the navigation
tools. The relational attribute navigation tool consists of three
buttons that are labeled with the respective relational attributes
"Executive," "Financial" and "Project." Executive view is the
default relational attribute. As seen in FIG. 13, the financial
button visually indicates that it is the currently selected
relational attribute. The subject navigation tool consists of four
drop down lists that provide lists of the available predefined
subjects at the substance, product, protocol and investigator
levels of the hierarchy. When the browser is initialized, the
Substance list is populated by default, to provide the user with a
list of available top-level subjects. Selection of a subject from a
drop down list leads to dynamic population of a dependent list of
Products that are owned by the Substance. As seen in FIG. 13, the
product list visually indicates that the displayed product subject
is the most recently selected subject. A "submit" button is used
indicate that the subject selected from among the lists is to be
used to retrieve files. In FIG. 13, the displayed product subject
"Fenastat" has been submitted as the subject for file retrieval.
The displayed files are therefore associated with the subject
"Fenastat" and the relational attribute "financial".
From the information illustrated in FIG. 13, the user may navigate
directly to executive information about Fenastat by using the
executive button on the relational attribute tool, or may directly
navigate to project information about Fenastat by using the project
button on the relational attribute tool. In either case, the
appropriate files are retrieved automatically upon use of the
relational attribute navigation tool.
Alternatively, the user may navigate to information regarding other
subjects by selecting a "higher" or "lower" hierarchical level, or
by selecting another subject at the same hierarchical level of. For
example, to navigate to a "lower" (e.g., more detailed) level of
information regarding a Protocol that is owned by the Product
Fenastat, the user would select a subject from the protocol pick
list, and use the submit button to initiate a query specifying the
selected protocol. To navigate to information regarding another
product subject owned by the oxymethylacrylate subject, the user
would pick another product from the current product pick list. To
navigate to information regarding another product subject that is
not owned by the oxymethacrylate subject, the user would specify
the appropriate subject from the substance pick list (essentially
moving back up the hierarchy to the appropriate owner), which
dynamically reconfigures the product pick list. The user would then
pick the desired product from the dynamically reconfigured list and
initiate retrieval of the appropriate files.
The server facility and file creation facility are provided on a
single computer. The server functions are implemented through
Microsoft NT server 4.0, Microsoft IIS 4.0, Microsoft Front Page
Extensions, Microsoft Active Server Pages (ASP), and Microsoft
Visual Studio. Thus the server is implemented as a web server and
can be accessed in accordance with standard web protocols. The
server contains a database that implements the logical index for
the information mart. This table contain fields for file
identifier, last modified date, subject, relational attribute,
physical file identifier, NT groups associated with file, file
type, and security ID.
The file creation facility is composed of a Scheduling Facility, a
Directory Creation Facility and a Content Creation Facility. The
scheduling facility manages updating of information mart files. The
directory creation facility (DCF) is a Microsoft Excel and
Microsoft Visual Basic application that creates a structured file
system for storage and organization of information mart files. The
file system is designed in accordance with the predefined subject
hierarchy. The file structure of the present example includes three
directories at the Substance level (Substance 1, Substance 2, and
Substance 3). The Substance 1 directory contains six
sub-directories--two Product sub-directories (Product 1, and
Product 2) and the three content sub-directories (Exe, Fin, Pro).
The Product directory Product 1 contains six sub-directories--three
Protocol sub-directories (Protocol 1, Protocol 2, and Protocol 3)
and the three content sub-directories (Exe, Fin, Pro). The Protocol
directory Protocol 1 contains six sub-directories--three
Investigator sub-directories (Investigator 1, Investigator 2, and
Investigator 3) and the three content sub-directories (Exe, Fin,
Pro). The Exe sub-directory under Investigator 1 is open to reveal
the four Quadrant sub-directories (Q1 to Q4). It is important to
note that the four levels--Substance, Product, Protocol and
Investigator provide structure only. Each directory at each level
contains the content subdirectories (Exe, Fin, and Pro) and their
four Quadrant sub-directories and content files.
The content creation facility (CCF) creates web-format (.htm, .gif,
and .jpg) content files using data elements extracted from an
Oracle database implemented on a remote server. The CCF facility is
composed of Microsoft Excel and Visual Basic programs. Each
individual content file is produced in accordance with design rules
stored in the Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and Visual Basic
programs. Each created file is stored in a folder that corresponds
to its intended display quadrant within the browser user interface.
That folder is a subfolder of a relational attribute folder, and
the relational attribute folder is a subfolder of a subject folder
of the hierarchy. Each created file has a unique name that is used
for display purposes and a file extension that indicates its file
type.
The foregoing description addresses a specific application of the
invention in the field of pharmaceutical chemical testing. However,
the invention is applicable to any enterprise and is not limited to
this specific application.
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